Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose novel Chapter 50

**Healing Slowly But Surely**
By R. Joseph

Leilani.

1

I found myself resisting the urge to see him, and honestly, the thought of engaging in conversation was equally unappealing. Yet, there he stood, a picture of desolation, radiating an aura of helplessness that tugged insistently at my heartstrings.

Jarek, despite his current jerk-like demeanor, had been my anchor for the past four years. He was my support, my guiding light, and ultimately, my savior.

He had rescued me from the clutches of my abusive family, and without demanding anything in return—well, aside from my labor in his service—he had pulled me from the suffocating darkness that had enveloped my life for far too long. He gifted me a new beginning, an education, a job, and the empowerment that I now wielded with both pride and trepidation.

As I turned to face him, my heart was a storm of conflicting emotions, swirling chaotically within me. I was desperate to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over, to remain strong in the face of his anguish. But as he stepped closer, his hands gently cradling my face, I felt the dam within me begin to crack.

“I’m really sorry, Sweetcakes,” he murmured, his voice thick with regret. “I was foolish… I still am. I should have considered how my actions would impact you before I acted.”

“Jay…” I began, but he interrupted me, the urgency in his tone pulling me in.

“I’m sorry,” he reiterated, and I felt myself melting under his touch, succumbing to the warmth radiating from him. As I closed my eyes, I allowed his heat to envelop me, his words washing over me like a soothing balm. “I knew everything your family has put you through. I was aware of the torment Chalice inflicted upon you in the past. I, of all people, understand the weight of the murder allegation still hanging over your head—one you have yet to clear, one that was thrust upon you by Chalice herself. Yet, despite all of this, I let her come between us.”

The tension hung heavy in the air, and I couldn’t help but blurt out the question that had been gnawing at me. “Did you sleep with her?”

The question escaped my lips before I could stop it, driven by a mixture of curiosity, jealousy, and pain.

He froze, the moment stretching out like an eternity. A frown creased his forehead, and for a fleeting moment, disgust flickered across his features before he quickly masked it with his usual aloofness. “No,” he replied sharply.

“She hinted that you did,” I pressed, unable to suppress the bitterness that seeped into my voice.

The shock was evident on Jarek’s face as his jaw dropped. He scoffed, a hint of indignation coloring his tone. “I would never do that. I’m not that desperate. I’ve never even experienced that kind of urge before.”

A reluctant chuckle escaped me, even as tears continued to well in my eyes. I shook my head at him, trying to dismiss the tightness in my chest and the way my breathing felt labored.

A silence enveloped us, thick and heavy, until I finally wriggled out of his grasp, turning toward the door without inviting him inside.

He rushed to catch up, urgency in his voice. “I did it because I was foolish.”

“You’ve mentioned that before,” I muttered, glancing back to offer him a faint smile. “And I concur.”

“Don’t leave!” he pleaded, desperation lacing his tone. “I told her to forget about the job. I never hired her, so please don’t go.”

His words resonated within me, and I slowly lifted my gaze to meet his, narrowing my eyes as I regarded him with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.

“You knew from the start that she wasn’t ‘good enough’ for the position. Why did you offer it to her in the first place?”

Jarek’s gaze dropped, and suddenly, he couldn’t meet my eyes. The mighty Alpha Frostclaw began to fidget, his fingers playing nervously as he muttered, “I didn’t know how to face you after our last dinner together. I wanted to escape the thoughts of that kiss.”

His reasoning felt absurd, almost childish.

I crossed my arms, my frustration boiling over. “How does that even make sense?”

Flustered, Jarek chewed on his lower lip, his gaze darting around the room, avoiding my penetrating stare. “I felt guilty for kissing you.”

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